Did you happen to catch Kyle Larson kissing the bricks at the recent Indianapolis Motor Speedway? The iconic Brickyard 400 encompasses many traditions. The most famed one is ‘the kiss,’ where the winner of the race comes down to the track with his family and team and kisses the bricks. They pose for the iconic photo, which becomes a memory in Brickyard’s history.

In NASCAR, tradition is sacred! The bricks are at the start-finish line, making that zone the most important part of the track. There is a do’s and don’ts list on the track. Where the biggest don’t be, ‘Don’t let anything happen to the iconic bricks’. Joe Gibbs Racing took to Instagram to talk about this sacred part of the Indianapolis track and NASCAR’s instruction.

‘The Bricks’ must be protected at all costs

In 1909, the brickyard was quite literally covered in bricks. However, over time, the asphalt-covered most of the track, and the workers removed the bricks. But in honor of the original surface, a 3-foot-wide section of bricks was left intact. The tradition of kissing was started much later. It was all thanks to NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett and his crew chief Todd Parrott. After winning the Brickyard 400 in 1996, the pair decided to walk out to the start-finish line, kneel, and kiss the Yard of Bricks in honor of the track’s history.

The Bricks have received kisses from Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, and, most recently, Kyle Larson, the winner of Brickyard 400, 2024. Because of the tradition, NASCAR takes it very seriously to maintain the sanctity of the bricks. Like the kissing tradition, there is a tradition for the winner to do burnout as a celebration.

In a similar incident, Kyle Busch after a 2015 Xfinity race did a burnout on the bricks, leaving tire marks on the iconic bricks. The fans were furious at Busch after this incident. Post which the speedway president, Doug Boles, had asked NASCAR drivers to leave the bricks alone. In a recent video by Joe Gibbs Racing, it was revealed how NASCAR upholds the sanctity of the bricks. The video was captioned as follows: “This is the only spot in NASCAR you can’t do a burnout. You don’t want to do any damage or leave tire marks on the yard or bricks. Every year NASCAR reminds the team that when you win, stay away.”

Tradition is part of NASCAR’s history, and not respecting it is like not respecting the sport. Despite NASCAR’s instructions in 2015, the bricks kept getting defaced.

Burnouts at Brickyard: Who are the culprits?

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Drivers are on a high post for their wins. However, respecting the history of the track and being mindful of the tradition is crucial. Even Kyle Larson did a burnout on the track after winning the race. But he was nowhere near the legendary bricks. Kyle Busch isn’t the only culprit in damaging the bricks. Before him, 7-time Cup series champion Jimmie Johnson in 2012 did a burnout very close to the bricks, ripping the bricks, which were later replaced.

Ty Dillon, when he won on the Brickyard in 2014, did a burnout, causing tire marks and damaging the bricks as well.

One would think that the incidents would have stopped after Busch. However, in 2018, Justin Alliger, after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, did a burnout on the bricks. This left tire marks on the 3-foot-wide section.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway came out with a unique solution to counter the problem in 2019. They asked drivers to steer clear of the bricks while doing burnout, and in turn, they would donate money to cancer research. Their press release read, “IMS and Riley will execute a #BurnoutChildhoodCancer promotion and text-to-give campaign. IMS will provide a $2,500 total donation upon completion of burnouts away from the Yard of Bricks, with $1,000 after the Indiana 250 and $1,500 after the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard. Fans can text BURNOUT to 52182 to donate the amount of their choice in support of pediatric cancer research.”

There have been no incidents in the recent years. The sanctity of the bricks seems to remain intact. After coming from the Olympic break, NASCAR will move to Richmond. Are you ready for a dramatic Richmond race? Let us know in the comments below.